Page 7 of Always Yours

Ellen lifts her head, her chin resting on my chest as she looks at me. “It was,” she admits, almost shyly. “Seems you’re not just a superhero when it comes to pulling skunks from a girl’s car.”

I burst out laughing. “Is that so?” I ask, brushing the hair back from her face.

“Hmmm,” she says, biting her bottom lip as she stares up at me. “Shit, our clothes!” she suddenly says, scrambling on top of me.

“Hey, hey, come here,” I say, pulling her back against me. “I’ll take care of it,” I add, gently easing her off me as I sit up.

Ellen watches as I pull the condom off, wrapping it in a tissue and throwing in the trash can beside my desk. I grab my sweats, pulling them back on before turning back to the bed.

“Don’t go anywhere,” I tell her, smiling.

Ellen smiles up at me, pulling the duvet around her naked body. “Yeah, I think you might be stuck with me for a while longer,” she says. “I’m hardly in a position to walk home like this.”

I chuckle, leaning down to press a kiss to her lips. “Good,” I whisper. “’Cause I wouldn’t mind being stuck with you for a long time.”

3

Ellen

My heart is hammering in my chest, banging so loudly off my ribs that I can hear it thumping in my ears.

I suck in a deep breath hoping that while Will is retrieving our clothes from the laundry room, I can pull myself together. I’ve already broken the rule I had made for myself nearly five seconds ago about no one night stands or walks of shame ever again. Yet I’m in some stranger’s bed, and I think I might be falling for him.

Ugh… I can’t be one of those stupid girls who confuse sex for love. This is definitely lust and nothing more because I just met him after being blasted by a skunk. Or maybe that means it’s something more? Maybe the fact that he invited me up to his apartment, smelling like skunk spray and puke, looking like the girl on the cover of Hole’sLive Through Thisalbum, has some merit to it. Or fuck my life and maybe he just thought he’d get laid, which he did.

I have absolutely no right to mock my sister Lauren and her confusion over boys because at this moment I’m naked in the bed of a stranger wondering if he really likes me or if he just really likes vaginas.

Will walks back into the bedroom empty-handed and shrugs his shoulders. “They still smell like shit,” he says matterof factly. “Because I never put them in the washer. They’re in there now, but it doesn’t seem like soaking them in the Bloody Mary mix has done anything.”

“Maybe I should just go,” I say, pulling the sheet up a little higher as if that will suddenly erase the memory of my boobs from his mind. “Just come by later and pick up my clothes.”

It’s not like he’s creepy or anything like that so I have no idea why I’m suddenly hit with this overwhelming sense of self-consciousness.

“Why?” Will asks, a confused look crossing his face.

“I don’t know,” I reply. “Maybe…” I trail off not knowing what to say or how any of this even works.

“This wasn’t a pity invite. This wasn’t a scam to get you in my bed. And if we’re being honest here, this wasn’t even a one time thing for me.” He pauses a second and calls me to him with a hook of his finger, and I crawl to the edge of the bed. “I like you, Ellen. I like your confidence and your smart mouth, and I want to get to know you better.”

“Okay,” I say, my voice shaky as I try to control the blush I feel inching up my cheeks.

He leans down and presses a soft kiss to my lips and I feel like I’m floating, butterflies fill my stomach and I giggle a little too teenage girl-like.

“Why don’t you throw on the clothes I gave you and we can get to know each other a little better.”

I nod my head in response, but I stay firmly rooted in the cocoon of sheets wondering if I should just drop it and climb out of the bed, or ask him to leave the room.

His hands literally just explored every inch of my body, did things to me that made me come more times than I ever have, and now I’m embarrassed that he might see my naked ass.

Fuck it.

I drop the sheet and he smiles at me, his eyes raking over my bare skin, so instead of rushing to get dressed, I take this opportunity to enjoy the fact that someone is interested in me.

Bending at the waist I pick up the boxers and pull them on and as I do, I look over at Will who is now leaning against his dresser taking me in.

“You trying to kill me?” he asks and I bite down on my bottom lip

“I don’t know. Is it working?” I ask, smiling back at him.

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